


A Polite Visit

by rubyofkukundu



Series: Polite Encounters [1]
Category: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell & Related Fandoms, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke, Taboo (TV 2017)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9605387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubyofkukundu/pseuds/rubyofkukundu
Summary: James Delaney and John Childermass have a polite conversation.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: contains spoilers for episode 3 of "Taboo".

In the house of one James Delaney esq. the said master of the house could at this moment be found in the parlour, rummaging through the drawers of a desk. He was dressed in only his shirt, though it was already midday. Indeed, it looked not so much as if he had just risen, but as if he had not yet gone to bed.

He glanced behind him, grunted, and pulled out a sheaf of papers; these were the read over and thrown back onto the desk.

Delaney then walked through to the morning room. He pulled a number of books from the bookcase and rifled through their pages. At one moment he stopped and glanced to the fireplace; but it was only for a moment.

The next stop upon Delaney's tour was the master bedroom and a trunk at the bottom of the wardrobe. Said trunk was opened and a whole raft of moth-eaten coats and blankets were tossed onto the floor. Delaney glanced at the bottom of the trunk, then turned to the coats beside him and went through every one of their pockets. In the last he found a letter, which was held up triumphantly. Here, Delaney paused again and looked to the chair beside the window.

With a grunt, Delaney stood and carried the letter up to his study, where he sat down at his desk to read it through. After some time of this, Delaney paused and huffed out a sigh. He sat up in his chair.

"Show yourself," said he to the empty room.

A curious thing then happened: in a corner of the room, where before there had been nothing but a pile of books and shadows, one of those very shadows stood up and in doing so seemed to become a man. This man wore old clothes upon a lean person and a wry smile upon a crooked face.

"I see you noticed me," said the man, looking at Delaney with shining, black eyes. "John Childermass," he said, by way of introduction. "Mr Norrell's man."

Delaney sat back and nodded. "The magician?" He looked to the man called Childermass. "And Norrell sends you to trespass in _my fucking house_ because?"

"Ah," said Childermass. He looked about the room, and as he did so the smile left his mouth but did not leave his eyes. "My master has heard, sir, that you have been performing magic." He looked at Delaney. "And not just any magic, but very _un-English_ magic, which some might find altogether objectionable."

Delaney breathed out. He put his head on one side and appeared to consider Childermass. "And...?" Delaney prompted. "Why would this be any business of your master's?"

"Well, sir," replied Childermass, in a way that would seem polite were it not for the set of his shoulders, "perhaps you do not know, but all magic performed in England is the business of Mr Norrell. He makes it his business." Childermass looked about the room some more. "In particular, Mr Norrell makes it his business to ensure that all claims... false claims... of magical prowess are stopped up." His gaze returned to Delaney. "And were you to be practising _real_ magic then that must be stopped up even more."

Delaney snorted. "You threaten me?" He raised his eyebrows and stood up from his chair. "Do you know what happens to people who threaten me?"

Yet Childermass did not move. "Do you know what happens to people who defy Mr Norrell?" he replied simply. Then Childermass shrugged. "But perhaps you do not. Perhaps you do not realise how much influence he has. Perhaps you do not realise how he has the ear of the Governme..."

"Both the King and the East India want to fuck me," said Delaney, taking a step forward. "The Government is welcome to join them. Now you can tell your master..."

"Do you know," said Childermass, meeting his gaze, "that for a magician as knowledgeable as Mr Norrell it is quite easy to make things disappear? To make things seem as if they had never existed in the first place?"

Delaney grabbed Childermass up by the coat. "You threaten my life now?"

"Oh no, sir," said Childermass, making no attempt to remove himself from Delaney's hold. "Oh no." One corner of his mouth twitched upwards. "I was thinking entirely of other things that might be made to disappear: things, possessions..." He looked Delaney in the eye. "Nootka Sound..."

Delaney let Childermass go and took a step back. "That's not possible."

"It is very possible."

Delaney's brows lowered.

"But you see..." resumed Childermass, not bothering to straighten his rumpled clothes. "My master is not very interested in men's material affairs. His mind is on magic only. And so he would not think to do anything with Nootka Sound unless I were to suggest it to him. Indeed," continued Childermass, "I could instead tell him that, having met you, I found you a most upstanding man, and that any rumours of magic were put about only by your enemies."

Delaney stared at him.

Childermass' black eyes glinted in return.

With a sigh, Delaney sat back down at his desk. He looked up at Childermass and said, "I presume you have a price?"

Childermass' eyes glinted again. "Mr Godfrey has been treated rather cruelly; don't you think?"

"Oh." Delaney gave Childermass an appraising glance. "A weakness of yours?"

"I like to think of it as a strength, sir," said Childermass. "He is too good a man for the cruelty you have shown him."

"I mean him no harm."

"By putting both his name and his reputation at risk?"

Delaney looked Childermass in the eye. "He will receive what he deserves."

Childermass turned to the window. "You know, of course, Mr Delaney, that he still cares for you. How could you not? But do you know the full extent of it?" Childermass glanced back to Delaney. "Do you know that he cries your name in his sleep?" The set of Childermass' mouth was grim. "Do you know that he cries your name when we..."

"I need the information." Delaney closed his eyes, if only for a moment. He took a breath and met Childermass' gaze. "Godfrey is the clerk. I would be a fucking fool if I didn't use the opportunity to..."

Childermass gave a short, sharp laugh. "Mr Delaney," said he. "You know many things but I see you do not know everything. There are far better methods to get information than by using the _clerk_."

Delaney scoffed and sat back. "How then?"

"Ah." Childermass' eyes glittered. "Your word, sir. That you will blackmail Mr Godfrey no longer."

Delaney huffed. "You will have my word only if your method works."

"It will work, sir. It will work." Here, Childermass smiled a smile that appeared to crawl all the way up one side of his face. "Bring me a basin and a pitcher of water."


End file.
